Thrive expo aims to inspire
February’s Thrive Whanganui Expo was an event at which hundreds of people connected with mentors and inspirational speakers and where successful local and national social enterprises were showcased. The aim was to provide impetus for more social enterprise in Whanganui.
There was a team, under the umbrella of Nga Tai o te Awa and in partnership with the Akina Foundation and Whanganui Chamber of Commerce and Industry, but behind it was Nicola Patrick, Horizons councillor and former Green Party candidate.
“Thrive, in a nutshell; we are setting up a social enterprise incubator and hub for Whanganui and the wider region. We want to help people set up and run businesses that make a positive social, environmental and cultural difference,” says Nicola.
“We’re trying to change the way we do things.
“You can make money running a social enterprise: making money is not an evil concept. It allows us to give back to communities, to buy beautiful art from Whanganui artists, to spend time with our children; all those things are valid — social enterprise is about being financially sustainable, making a difference through trading and using business practices.”
Helping Nicola along was Catherine Newton.
“I met Catherine last year through Marianne Archibald of the Chamber of Commerce. Marianne had done a paper, Practical Innovation and Entrepreneurship, at AUT.”
Marianne thought highly enough of Catherine Newton and Mike Hutcheson who ran the programme that she brought them to Whanganui to run a one-day workshop.
“It was an intensive look at how to take yourself forward in a business sense,” says Nicola.
Through that Nicola signed up for the AUT course.
“I did it to accelerate my Thrive planning. I was already committed to Thrive, I had a skeleton plan and was committed to doing the expo, but I used that commitment as the focus of the study over the summer course.”
The course was part online and by Skype and part on campus.
“I already set relatively high quality standards around the things I do, but they pushed me!
“The last part was a Dragons’ Den and I went up to Auckland for that. The course is absolutely practical and worthwhile. It’s academic as well in the sense that you study ideas, but it’s all about the application of them.”
Nicola’s opinion of Catherine?
“Very warm, quite intense and challenging in a positive way.”
Students made themselves vulnerable for the group and together they formed a bond of trust. When they finally met, they hugged.
“I am passionate about women’s leadership, about innovation and entrepreneurship education,” says Catherine. “We all need someone who believes in us, and I’m committed to helping women like Nicola. I helped her find her purpose and her passion and helped her turn it into a viable business.”
One of Catherine’s own mentors was Bob Proctor, who said, “Believe in my belief in you, that you can do this.”
“Nicola got to stand in her power and I gave her permission to believe in herself,” says Catherine. “When I saw that shift in her, her path was illuminated. She could see her North Star. The rest was her: she is driven, she is inspiring.”
Catherine is returning to Whanganui to deliver a one-day marketing and mind-set event, open to men and women.
“I’m coming down because Nicola has made a stand for me. When you find a student excelling the way she is, I want to do everything I can to support her.”
The date is yet to be advised but will be this month.